CO129-517-7 Draft Commercial Treaty with China- Governor's action 14-3-1929 - 25-7-1929 — Page 27

DIEU

ET MONT

2.

GROI

Government House, Đứng hang.

27

Governor of Hong Kong to endeavour to deal with such a

matter as the draft Anglo-Chinese commercial treaty,

which vitally concerns British and Chinese merchants in

this Colony, without consulting the chief representatives of the principal interests affected. Sir Liles Lampson himself did not propose to deal with this matter, except

after consultation with the British merchants in Shanghai; and I consider that my opinion on the draft treaty referred

to me in the C.C. confidential despatch of the 14th march

would have had little value, unless I had consulted tne

Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce and the Hong Kong

branch or the China Association. These consultations took

place in strict confidence, and it is not suggested that my confidence was in any way unjustified. Nothing whatever leaked out into the local press, either English or

vernacular.

I cannot help adding that the general feeling leit

upon my wind

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and not upon me only by the prolonged

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correspondence on Chinese troubles, which has taken place